Chapter 29
CARRIE
After Carrie’s shift at the cat rescue centre on Tuesday, the Nutella pastry had been so good at Boosalis – rich and decadent, satisfying yet flaky.
So she’d taken a couple home and was there again for one now, before she worked her first shift at The Bar.
Dimitrios had messaged her yesterday to say a regular was bringing in a big group of friends for her pre-wedding celebration tonight, and that The Bar was busy now on a Saturday night as it was.
Accompanied by a laughing emoji, he’d attached a photo of gyros and chips, her payment.
Even just his words, on a screen, made something giddy rush within her.
A steaming, sticky afternoon and Nana’s café was full of customers too, like the village centre with the Saturday market chatty as it packed away now.
But Carrie wasn’t in a rush to get served, and she took out her phone to message Ariana back.
She’d forced herself to wait a few days.
Carrie fanned herself with a menu before taking a deep breath.
Hi Ariana,
Thanks for messaging. First of all, that is fantastic news about a possible promotion.
I wasn’t 100 per cent sure about coming to Greece – about leaving my safe, familiar routine behind.
I miss you and Rae, and Boo, so very much, but I see now how I got stuck in a rut, back in the UK.
Some things seem scary but the pay-off is worth the risk.
However this chapter of my life ends, I will look back and think I took my chances, I really lived.
Mum should have taken more chances but didn’t because of me.
That’s one of the things that hurt most about her death.
As I passed through my twenties, she’d started to make plans to travel.
Ever since turning forty, she’d talked about going interrailing, something she’d dreamed of doing before getting pregnant.
Mum had been putting money aside, even when she was ill, telling herself, telling me, she’d get better.
She was going to take a risk and jack in work.
God, it was good watching the excitement build on her face every time we talked about the European capitals she’d only ever seen in movies.
She’d even talk about Internet dating, having been very wary for so many years about bringing men into my life.
Sorry, rambling there… just don’t say no to going for the promotion if it’s because you’re afraid of change. That’s my opinion for what it’s worth.
I’m in a café about to order Nutella baklava – the food here is amazing! I also volunteer at the cat rescue centre I mentioned and am helping in a bar in exchange for food, seeing as I’m not allowed to earn money. That pop star, Dimitrios, he owns the place.
Take care. Hope Rae is okay. Say hi to her for me, will you? Say sorry again. Say I love her.
But I… I don’t assume you – either of you – are, or ever will be, ready to take my friendship back. I see, now, how what I did was totally messed up.
Love
Carrie xxx
She then tapped an email to Eliza who hadn’t yet replied to Carrie’s last one, which was actually a bit unusual. What if something had happened to Boo?
Hi Eliza,
Hope all is well? I guess you must be very busy, what with The Niterie and your floristry. Is Boo okay? Is Jez still… ‘nice’?!
All good here. In fact one thing that’s come as a surprise…
Dimitrios lent me a guitar and the last few days I’ve been playing.
Mum used to love sitting on my bed listening to me strum.
She was my number one fan. That’s one of the things that made me brave enough to put my life up for sale and move to Greece – the fact that she’d always had faith in me.
Mum’s template for motherhood must have been to be everything her own mother wasn’t.
That’s what I’d always believed, anyway, until right at the end when she actually spoke about my grandmother.
She said her mum letting her down had been so very hard, because up to that point her mum had been the best.
You wanted details about Dimitrios? Okay, here goes…
I’ve hardly admitted this to myself but…
I like him. I really do. The feelings have come out of nowhere.
This is me talking, Carrie Fletcher who hardly dates.
I really thought he was interested in me – but, typical, I finally take a ‘shine’ to a man (as Mum would have said) and it turns out he’s not up for a relationship, insisting he’s bad news, for some reason.
What about Jez? Deets, please! I’d love to hear more about your life and why you really wanted to buy mine.
We both took some pretty monumental action two weeks ago.
Was your reason only to do with the noisy building work?
No problem if you don’t want to tell me but I’m finding, to my surprise, it’s really good to open up.
I… I haven’t told you yet, but the real reason I left England…
it was because I set up a stupid fake Instagram account, pretending to be someone glamorous.
I hid it from Ariana and Rae, posted things on there that go against my true principles, against theirs.
Some of the posts hurt their feelings. I’m so ashamed.
I’d felt this void inside. I thought being popular on social media would fill that hole. Told you it was stupid.
We’ve only been living our new lives for two weeks.
I don’t know about you, but it feels so much longer, it’s as if time has been compressed.
I’ve made friends and somewhere new is now feeling familiar.
I’m playing the guitar again and there’s time to really think, to breathe and…
I like it. Maybe, just maybe, that void has become slightly smaller.
Give Boo a hug from me.
Carrie x
‘Yassou, my friend!’ Carrie pressed send and looked up to hooped gold earrings and a bright turquoise hair scarf. Nana put down the pastry. ‘I knew I wouldn’t need to ask what you wanted to order.’
Carrie burst out laughing as Nana disappeared and came back with two coffees and glasses of water.
‘I can take a quick ten-minute break,’ she said. ‘No pastry for me though. I’ve already had two today.’
Already eating, Carrie closed her eyes and gave a small moan. ‘So delicious.’ She wiped her mouth. ‘Are you volunteering again next Tuesday at Dafni’s? She asked if I’d do that on a regular basis but I’m going to say I’ll go in other days too, certainly at the moment.’
Nana sipped her coffee. ‘No, Dafni has asked me to do Wednesday next week as a member of staff needed the day off.’ She rolled her eyes.
‘I’ll be sorry not to be there with you but won’t miss Drago.
You know who he is? What he did? How he revealed where Doritos lived and put the safety of him, of his dad, at risk? ’
Carrie nodded.
‘I’ve no time for that man.’
‘Really? I hadn’t noticed.’ They caught each other’s eyes and grinned. ‘I was going to mention it when I called by here on Tuesday after I met him there, but what with the dishwasher flood… Is the machine mended yet?’
‘Yes. Thank goodness! As for Drago – it’s simple.
I have so much respect for Dimitrios, and Drago has made his life very difficult.
After Covid, Boosalis and a few other businesses were really struggling.
Dimitrios tried to give people money, but we are proud here in Paros, and point-blank refused.
So he arranged it so that a couple of his pop videos were filmed here.
It meant the film crew, dancers, and production team were in the village for a few weeks.
They lived in the hotels, ate out for their meals, visited local shops and markets and their tips were ridiculous.
I don’t know if he was funding part of what they spent, but it made such a difference when we needed it.
All of us were so embarrassed when Drago let him down like that.
I am not the only one who doesn’t see him as one of us, now. ’
‘But it sounds like an accidental slip, being baited by that journalist? Or have I got that wrong…?’ she added hastily and gave a sheepish smile.
‘The rest of us in Tolmiros managed not to blab – now and again journalists would come through here. We always knew why and kept schtum.’
‘Why does Drago stay? Does he have to be remote, on an island, to keep his important IT job with the government a secret? Do you think he hacks systems around the world and spies on other countries?’
Nana almost choked as she spluttered coffee. ‘Is that what he told you?’
‘He tapped his nose, told me he couldn’t say much about what he does.’
‘It’s an important job, yes, but we’re not talking James Bond.
Drago does programming and is currently rebuilding the local council’s website.
I know because he’s been working on the business and economy section that keeps us local shop owners up to date with any new regulations.
’ She put down her cup. ‘He’s an idiot with a big ego and too many fake designer clothes. ’
‘He’s good with the cats.’
‘Yes. I’ll give him that. He’s spotted a few things the rest of us haven’t, like the skin cancer on one cat’s nose and that another was listless because it had bad toothache.
Anyway, let’s not chat about that loser.
Tell me… are you looking forward to your first shift at The Bar?
Dimitrios told me and it’s a great idea. ’
Her face lit up. ‘Who knew it was possible to miss being in work? It’s not just the money, it’s being useful, being busy. Not sure I’d do very well retiring.’
‘Retirement is a dirty word in my family – even my grandmother does the occasional shift here. Honestly, I don’t know what’s wrong with them.’ She paused. ‘So… that’s the only reason you are looking forward to working with Dimitrios?’
‘Of course,’ Carrie said and shoved in a large mouthful of baklava.
‘My sweet. I have eyes.’
Carrie sat munching.
‘I’m also patient,’ said Nana and folded her arms.
Carrie swilled down a mouthful of water. ‘It’s between us?’